Honda Motor Co. and its joint ventures in China, including Guangzhou Honda Automobile and Dongfeng Honda Automobile, reported January-August sales in China surged 118.4% from a year earlier to 414, 730 vehicles, Guangzhou Daily reported Tuesday.

The Japanese automaker said yesterday that it sold 48,399 vehicles in China in August, a slight rise of 5.9% from last year.

Although sales more than doubled in China, Honda said its Civic Hybrid significantly underperformed in the Chinese market, versus soaring sales of the traditional fuel vehicles.

Honda sold only two Civic Hybrids in the first eight months of this year in China, only 1.9% of the 130 units it sold in the same period last year.